scholarly journals THE EFFECT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM-BASED ON SEXUAL INTIMACY CONCEPT VIA SMARTPHONE IN WOMEN FOLLOWING MASTECTOMY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (34) ◽  
pp. 23-32
Author(s):  
Zahra ARJMANDI ◽  
Zohreh MAHMOODI ◽  
Zahra BEHBOODI MOGHADAM ◽  
Habibollah MAHMOODZADEH ◽  
Mostafa QORBANI
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Sexual Intimacy ◽  
Care Education ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

The most common malignancy among women around the world is breast cancer. Mastectomy is one of the most commonly used breast cancer treatments, which has a direct impact on the sexual performance of these patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Educational program through Smartphone on the sexual intimacy of women with breast cancer. In a randomized controlled trial, 60 women with mastectomy referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital from April to July 2018 and were randomly divided into two intervention (sexual intimacy with routine mastectomy and chemotherapy care education) and control groups (routine mastectomy and chemotherapy care education) using four randomized blocks. Six sessions via smartphone were held for both groups the sexual intimacy questionnaire was completed by participants before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed by SPSS 21 at a significance level of p 0. 05. According to the findings, the mean score of overall sexual intimacy before intervention was not significantly different (p=0.143) between the two groups. However, after the intervention, the mean score of total sexual intimacy was significantly different in the control and intervention groups being higher in the intervention group (p 0.001). The present study showed that education via smartphone was effective in improving the sexual intimacy of women with breast cancer and consequently enhancing the couples' sexual relations.

Investigating the Impact of Cognitive Training for Individuals With Bothersome Tinnitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 019459982199474
Author(s):  
Maggie Xing ◽  
Dorina Kallogjeri ◽  
Jay F. Piccirillo
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Functional Index ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
The Impact

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive training in improving tinnitus bother and to identify predictors of patient response. Study Design Prospective open-label randomized controlled trial. Setting Online. Methods Participants were adults with subjective idiopathic nonpulsatile tinnitus causing significant tinnitus-related distress. The intervention group trained by using auditory-intensive exercises for 20 minutes per day, 5 days per week, for 8 weeks. The active control group trained on the same schedule with non–auditory intensive games. Surveys were completed at baseline, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks. Results A total of 64 participants completed the study. The median age was 63 years (range, 25-69) in the intervention group and 61 years (34-68) in the control group. Mixed model analysis revealed that within-subject change in Tinnitus Functional Index in the intervention group was not different than the control group, with marginal mean differences (95% CI): 0.24 (–11.20 to 10.7) and 2.17 (–8.50 to 12.83) at 8 weeks and 2.33 (–8.6 to 13.3) and 3.36 (–7.91 to 14.6) at 12 weeks, respectively. When the 2 study groups were compared, the control group had higher Tinnitus Functional Index scores than the intervention group by 10.5 points at baseline (95% CI, –0.92 to 29.89), 8.1 at 8 weeks (95% CI, –3.27 to 19.42), and 9.4 at 12 weeks (95% CI, –2.45 to 21.34). Conclusion Auditory-intensive cognitive training was not associated with changes in self-reported tinnitus bother. Given the potential for neuroplasticity to affect tinnitus, we believe that future studies on cognitive training for tinnitus remain relevant.

scholarly journals Community Health Workers as a Strategy to Tackle Psychosocial Suffering Due to Physical Distancing: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3097
Author(s):  
Dorien Vanden Bossche ◽  
Susan Lagaert ◽  
Sara Willems ◽  
Peter Decat
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Psychosocial Health ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
The Impact

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many primary care professionals were overburdened and experienced difficulties reaching vulnerable patients and meeting the increased need for psychosocial support. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) tested whether a primary healthcare (PHC) based community health worker (CHW) intervention could tackle psychosocial suffering due to physical distancing measures in patients with limited social networks. Methods: CHWs provided 8 weeks of tailored psychosocial support to the intervention group. Control group patients received ‘care as usual’. The impact on feelings of emotional support, social isolation, social participation, anxiety and fear of COVID-19 were measured longitudinally using a face-to-face survey to determine their mean change from baseline. Self-rated change in psychosocial health at 8 weeks was determined. Results: We failed to find a significant effect of the intervention on the prespecified psychosocial health measures. However, the intervention did lead to significant improvement in self-rated change in psychosocial health. Conclusions: This study confirms partially the existing evidence on the effectiveness of CHW interventions as a strategy to address mental health in PHC in a COVID context. Further research is needed to elaborate the implementation of CHWs in PHC to reach vulnerable populations during and after health crises.

scholarly journals Scale development and an educational program to reduce the stigma of schizophrenia among community pharmacists: a randomized controlled trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoo Fujii ◽  
Manako Hanya ◽  
Kenta Murotani ◽  
Hiroyuki Kamei
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Factor I ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Factor Ii

Abstract Background Stigma associated with mental disorders is rooted among many pharmacists, and represents a major barrier to patient support in community-based psychiatry. We developed an assessment scale that is specifically designed to assess the level of stigma that pharmacists may have toward schizophrenia, and then examined the effects of reducing stigma with an educational program that focuses on communication with patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (PDS) using the newly developed Stigma Scale towards Schizophrenia for Community Pharmacists (SSCP). Methods SSCP was developed by exploratory factor analysis with promax rotation based on responses from 822 randomly selected community pharmacists. Furthermore, a randomized controlled trial was conducted for 115 community pharmacists to clarify the effects of reducing the stigma of schizophrenia using an educational program for them with a focus on communication with PDS. Participants were individually allocated to two groups: educational lecture group (56; only attending a lecture on schizophrenia) or contact-based intervention group (59; communicating with PDS and attending the lecture). The stigma assessment using SSCP was conducted immediately before and after the educational intervention. Results A total of 4 factors and 27 items were extracted from the exploratory factor analysis to comprise the SSCP. Cronbach’s α of SSCP, social distance at professional pharmacy service (factor I), attitudes towards PDS (factor II), self-disclosure (factor III), and social distance in personal (factor IV) were 0.89, 0.88, 0.76, 0.62, and 0.62, respectively. Educational program-related changes of the median (interquartile range) total SSCP score from baseline were − 9.0 (− 16.0 – − 5.0) in the contact-based intervention group and − 3.0 (− 7.0–1.0) in the educational lecture group, reflecting a significant reduction of stigma levels in the contact-based intervention group. On examining the SSCP subscales, scores for factor I and factor II significantly improved. The educational program was more effective for pharmacists aged 20–39 years or with negligible experience of communicating with PDS at work and/or in private life. Conclusions SSCP and the educational program for community pharmacists that focuses on communication with PDS were useful for assessing and reducing, respectively, the stigma attached by these pharmacists to schizophrenia. Trial registration UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000043189, registered on January 30, 2021), Retrospectively registered.

The effectiveness of emotional freedom techniques (EFT) on depression of postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Asieh Mehdipour ◽  
Parvin Abedi ◽  
Somayeh Ansari ◽  
Maryam Dastoorpoor
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Postmenopausal Women ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Moderate Depression ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Mean ◽  
And Control

Abstract Objectives Postmenopausal women are at greater risk of depression. Depression may negatively affect the quality of life of women. An emotional freedom technique (EFT) is an evidence-based therapy combining cognitive and exposure components with acupressure. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of EFT on depression in postmenopausal women. Methods This was a randomized controlled trial in which 88 women with mild to moderate depression recruited from a menopausal clinic in Ahvaz, Iran, and randomly assigned into two groups of EFT (n=44) and control for sham therapy (n=44). Women in the EFT group received two sessions of training and asked to continue EFT for 8 weeks, one time per day. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI2) completed by women before and after the intervention. The control group received training on sham acupressure points similar to the intervention group. Data collected using a demographic and BDI2. Women requested to complete the BDI2 before and after the intervention. The independent t-test, chi-square, and ANCOVA were used to analyze data. Results The mean depression score in the intervention group reduced from 20.93 ± 4.6 to 10.96 ± 4.38 in comparison to the control group that reduced from 19.18 ± 2.79 to 17.01 ± 6.05 after intervention (p=0.001). After the 8 week intervention, the frequency of moderate depression decreased from 56.8 to 9.35% in the intervention and from 50 to 29.5% in the control group. In total, 63.4 and 34.15% in the intervention and control groups were free of depression respectively after the intervention (p<0.001). Conclusions The results of this study showed that using EFT for 8 weeks could significantly reduce the mean score of depression in postmenopausal women. Using this method in public health centers for postmenopausal women is recommended.

scholarly journals Randomized Controlled Trial of an Educational Intervention for Managing Fatigue in Women Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Early-Stage Breast Cancer

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (25) ◽  
pp. 6027-6036 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patsy Yates ◽  
Sanchia Aranda ◽  
Maryanne Hargraves ◽  
Bev Mirolo ◽  
Alexandra Clavarino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Functional Assessment ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Cancer Related Fatigue ◽  
Numeric Rating

PurposeTo evaluate the efficacy of a psychoeducational intervention in improving cancer-related fatigue.Patients and MethodsThis randomized controlled trial involved 109 women commencing adjuvant chemotherapy for stage I or II breast cancer in five chemotherapy treatment centers. Intervention group patients received an individualized fatigue education and support program delivered in the clinic and by phone over three 10- to 20-minute sessions 1 week apart. Instruments included a numeric rating scale assessing confidence with managing fatigue; 11-point numeric rating scales measuring fatigue at worst, average, and best; the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Fatigue and Piper Fatigue Scales; the Cancer Self-Efficacy Scale; the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30; and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. For each outcome, separate analyses of covariance of change scores between baseline (T1) and the three follow-up time points (T2, T3, and T4) were conducted, controlling for the variable's corresponding baseline value.ResultsCompared with the intervention group, mean difference scores between the baseline (T1) and immediate after the test (T2) assessments increased significantly more for the control group for worst and average fatigue, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Fatigue, and Piper fatigue severity and interference measures. These differences were not observed between baseline and T3 and T4 assessments. No significant differences were identified for any pre- or post-test change scores for confidence with managing fatigue, cancer self-efficacy, anxiety, depression, or quality of life.ConclusionPreparatory education and support has the potential to assist women to cope with cancer-related fatigue in the short term. However, further research is needed to identify ways to improve the potency and sustainability of psychoeducational interventions for managing cancer-related fatigue.

scholarly journals Community Health Workers as a Strategy to Tackle Psychosocial Suffering due to Physical Distancing: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorien Vanden Bossche ◽  
Susan Lagaert ◽  
Sara Willems ◽  
Peter Decat
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Psychosocial Health ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
The Impact

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic some family physicians were overburdened and experienced difficulties reaching vulnerable patients and meeting the increased need for psycho-social support. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) tested whether a primary healthcare (PHC) based community health worker (CHW) intervention could tackle psychosocial suffering due to physical distancing measures in patients with limited social networks. Methods: CHWs provided 8 weeks of tailored psychosocial support to the intervention group. Control group patients received &lsquo;care as usual&rsquo;. The impact on feelings of emotional support, social isolation, social participation, anxiety and fear of COVID-19 were measured longitudinally using a face-to-face survey to determine their mean change from baseline. Self-rated change in psychosocial health at 8 weeks was determined. Results: We failed to find a significant effect of the intervention on the prespecified psychosocial health measures. However, the intervention did lead to significant improvement in self-rated change in psychosocial health. Conclusions: This study confirms partially the existing evidence on the effectiveness of CHW in-terventions as a strategy to address mental health in PHC in a COVID context. Further research is needed to elaborate the implementation of CHWs in PHC to reach vulnerable populations during and after health crises.

scholarly journals Does a tailored intervention to promote adherence in patients with chronic lung disease affect exacerbations? A randomized controlled trial

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Gregoriano ◽  
Thomas Dieterle ◽  
Anna-Lisa Breitenstein ◽  
Selina Dürr ◽  
Amanda Baum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Ambulatory Setting ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Copd Patients ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Inhaled Medication

Abstract Background Poor medication-adherence is common in chronic lung patients, resulting in reduced health-outcomes and increased healthcare-costs. This study aimed to investigate the impact of an acoustic reminder and support calls on adherence to inhaled therapy in asthma and COPD patients and to determine their effect on exacerbations. Methods This single-blinded randomized controlled trial investigated asthma and COPD patients during 6 months in an ambulatory setting. The intervention consisted of daily alarm clock and support phone calls, whenever use of rescue medication doubled or inhaled medication was not taken as prescribed. Primary outcome was time to next exacerbation. Frequency of exacerbations, adherence to inhaled medication and quality of life scores were secondary outcomes. Cox and Poisson regression were used to determine intervention effect on time to exacerbation and frequency of exacerbations, respectively. Results Seventy-five participants were assigned to the intervention group and 74 to usual follow-up care. During a median follow-up of 6.2 months, 22 and 28% in the intervention and control groups respectively, experienced at least one exacerbation. Intervention had no effect on time to first exacerbation (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.21 to 2.07, P = .24), but showed a trend toward a 39% decreased frequency of exacerbations (RR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.35 to 1.03, P = .070) for the adjusted models, respectively. The intervention group had significantly more days with 80–100% taking adherence regarding puff inhalers (82 ± 14% vs. 60 ± 30%, P < .001) and dry powder capsules (90 ± .10% vs. 80 ± 21%, P = .01). Timing adherence in participants using puff inhalers was higher in the intervention group (69 ± 25% vs. 51 ± 33%, P < .001). No significant differences in QoL were found between the two groups. Conclusion Participants assigned to the intervention group had significantly better taking and timing adherence of inhaled medication resulting in a trend towards a decreased frequency of exacerbations. However, no effect on time to next exacerbation was observed. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02386722, Registered 14 February 2014.

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